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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25971307">Hordak and the Orphans of the Horde</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mazen/pseuds/Mazen'>Mazen</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>AU, And takes in all the other orphans, Eventuel matchmaking, Fluff and Crack, Gen, Hordak is a dad to Adora, Soft Hordak (She-Ra), hordad</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-08-18</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-05-10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 01:54:38</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>7</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>9,432</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25971307</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mazen/pseuds/Mazen</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Shadow Weaver never came to the Fright Zone, so Hordak was forced to parent every orphan.<br/>Feat. Huntara as the Cool Aunt &amp; introducing Scorpia as Big Sister.</p><p>Eventual Entrapdak.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Adora &amp; Glimmer (She-Ra), Adora &amp; Hordak (She-Ra), Catra &amp; Hordak (She-Ra), Catra &amp; Lonnie (She-Ra), Entrapta/Hordak (She-Ra), Hordak &amp; Micah (She-Ra), Hordak &amp; Scorpia (She-Ra)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>149</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>409</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Adora</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>He had raced out to the field as soon as he saw the signs: a new portal starting to manifest on Etheria, his chance to get away from the backwater planet without a sun and stars. He monitored the entire planet for the amount of energy necessary to create a portal with the small hope of finding one.</p><p>He thought he had found one years ago, shortly after setting up the monitors. However, it turned out to be a sorceress who had summoned something from another world; not by a real portal, but through magic. He had no use for that. So when this sorceress came to offer her services to the Horde, he sent her away, still frustrated that it hadn’t been a portal.</p><p>This one was a portal. But he was too late. He’d barely entered the field when he saw the green light and only just managed to reach the spot before the portal closed. By instinct he caught what was dropped out of it before it vanished.</p><p>It was a small person. Tiny to be exact. Wrapped in a soft blanket with yellow hair and blue eyes staring up at him with a smile on the tiny mouth.</p><p>He cradled it in his arms, unsure what to make of it. It clearly didn’t belong to him, so he should put it down and leave, look for another portal and continue to search for a way off this planet. He would probably have to create a portal himself, he realized with horror. This wasn’t where he belonged.</p><p>He looked down at the bundle in his arms. This being didn’t belong here either. It had been taken too and was now in the same predicament as him. A feeling of kinship grew in him, the first he’d felt since he was separated from the Hivemind.</p><p>It was clearly a frail little thing and seemed unable to do much on its own. Dependent on someone greater than it. He could relate to that as well.</p><p>With the small person safely carried in one armored arm, he drove back to the Fright Zone.</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>Hordak’s army mostly consisted of people who’d been cast out from the surrounding kingdoms, the misfits who were rougher and didn’t have a kingdom to keep them safe. Even the Scorpions had been forced into submission to the other kingdoms when King Scorpio hadn’t been able to connect with their runestone; it demanded a princess and by the time his first daughter was born, it was too late.</p><p>The kingdom was weak when Hordak had landed on Etheria, despite now having a princess, as well as King Scorpio’s newly born granddaughter. It was Hordak’s idea to gather all the outcasts, the reptilian people of Etheria, and form an army of them. That action had set off the war. The other kingdoms hadn’t been satisfied that the Scorpions rebelled and attacked before they had time to strategize. King Scorpio and his daughter had been killed, leaving the kingdom - the Fright Zone - to Hordak.</p><p>Huntara, one of the youngest members of his army, met him when he returned to the Fright Zone with the little creature. Huntara was a fierce girl around the age of 13 and quite frightening to look at, but so were all the other soldiers. She looked quite nervous when he approached her.</p><p>“Lord Hordak, sir! The soldiers have been anxious for your return. They- we weren’t sure if- when you would return.” She looked ashamed, as if it was her job to keep all the adult soldiers in check. He often wondered if she’d grown up under such expectations when she lived in Plumeria where she was used for hard labor.</p><p>“Relax, Huntara, I will handle it.” He shifted a little as the bundle in his arm wriggled, making the nervous Huntara curious to what he was holding. Then the little person let out in a shrill wail.</p><p>“Is that a baby?” the girl asked excitedly and actually dared to near Hordak, so intrigued by what he was carrying.</p><p>“A baby…?” Hordak hadn’t heard this word before, but then again he hadn’t met such a tiny person before either. He allowed Huntara to see the bundle he was holding which made her coo in a way he hadn’t heard from the tough girl before.</p><p>“You know, a child.” Huntara started making weird sounds at the ‘baby’, sounds that made Hordak really annoyed, until he noticed how the baby reacted with glee. When he didn’t answer, she looked up at him in question. “Still young after having been born.”</p><p>“Oh, I see.” Hordak replied. He had been perplexed when he’d met Scorpio’s granddaughter, Scorpia, a small thing that would apparently grow to be a normal person at some point. And she was growing still, a girl around 8 years old now. She was mostly taken care of by Octavia and even Huntara, but he did see her regularly to provide her education. However, he thought that she had been the exception. Now he was beginning to think that most people didn’t exit a pod fully grown like he had.</p><p>“Where are the parents?” Huntara hesitated, seeming worried that he had done something to them. But he hadn’t seen anyone else, only the child.</p><p>He shrugged nonchalantly, unsure how much to say. How much would she understand or even believe? “I did not see anyone. The… baby was just lying like this in the field. Is that uncommon?”</p><p>Huntara looked sadly at the baby. “Well, there must’ve been parents at some point. But maybe this is another one of Etheria’s orphans.”</p><p>“Orphans?” Hordak wasn’t sure he had heard the term before.</p><p>“Yes, children without parents. Often the parents leave the child somewhere to be found, hoping that someone will give them a better life.”</p><p>“Oh.” Hordak didn’t like the sound of that. To be without one’s family, like he had landed on Etheria without his, sounded painful. He looked down at the child and recognized something of himself in her.</p><p>He did not like it.</p><p>“Perhaps you can take care of it.” He handed the baby to Huntara, eager to avoid more contact with such a fragile thing, but she held her hands up and shook her head.</p><p>“Oh no, I’m too young for that! She’s not like Scorpia; she’s tiny. She needs someone to nurture her and give her a safe environment.” The young woman smiled encouragingly and nodded at Hordak.</p><p>Moments passed before he understood her meaning. “Wait, you mean me?”</p><p>And so Hordak became responsible for a baby.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Comments are much appreciated!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Orphans</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Hordak becomes acquainted with parenthood.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Hordak had never taken care of anyone before. His soldiers listened to his orders, but pretty much took care of themselves. He provided Scorpia with lessons to ensure that she was properly educated, but otherwise she was taken care of by the older girls.</p><p>Now he had an utterly helpless infant child that was completely dependent on him and he was scared that he would mess it up. </p><p>The soldiers of the Horde were excited by the new addition to the clan. They all wanted to hold the little baby, cooing over it, but ultimately giving it back to Hordak. No one wanted that responsibility; no one knew how to take care of a baby. Luckily Bucka, an older male fawn (the only species slightly accepted outside the Horde’s territory and the Crimson Waste), went to a nearby village and bought every book about childcare for Hordak, along with the needed accessories.</p><p>Who knew a child was so dependent on a caregiver? Hordak wasn’t sure he had time for it.<br/>
Her. Had time for her. Because it was a human female. There was no trace of any other species which puzzled the soldiers. Why would anyone abandon a human, the race that was most accepted on Etheria? Hordak found it hard to explain how the child had fallen out of a portal. No one had believed him when he had said the same about himself.</p><p>His first trial was naming the girl. He had barely come up with a name for himself and now he was in charge of giving another person a name. She had no defining features that he could use, like Bucka or Scorpia. Then he remembered what everyone called her: adorable. Inspired by the other names, he named her Adora.</p><p>She was an easy child. Almost always happy and eager to communicate with everyone near her. Even when he attempted to get his paperwork done while feeding her, she would catch his eyes past the bottle and snuggle closer to him when he indulged her wish for contact.</p><p>As she grew, she began to favor lying on the floor and trying to move. When she rolled from her back onto her stomach for the first time, soldiers started a betting pool on when she would start to crawl. She exceeded all their expectations, only six months old when she mastered the technique. </p><p>Hordak was beyond proud, a strange feeling to have when it wasn’t truly his accomplishment. </p><p>But hadn’t he influenced her? Didn’t his role as a caregiver also make him her role model? The books on children informed him that a parent shapes their child and while he wasn’t quite a parent, he performed all the duties of one. He was the one to shape her and he would ensure she became powerful and skilled.</p><p>He hadn’t taken into account the other feelings that would emerge as the child grew. Like the first time she stood up against a robot, only to fall immediately after. She cried in agony and likely shock, a sound that physically pained him to hear. She was in his arms instantly, his soft chirping quickly calming her. </p><p>However, the realization that she could have been seriously injured struck him after that and it caused him such worry. He tried to restrain her movements by putting a small fence around her, but it reminded him too much of a jail cell and when she quickly became frustrated by the barrier he decided to remove it. But he did make a harness for her to sit in against his chest when he was visiting the more dangerous parts of the Fright Zone.</p><p>At times she would fall asleep there against his chest, a sight that always caused him a strange warmth inside him. That warmth was a feeling he felt more and more often when he looked at her. She was perfect.</p><p>He thought more about what would have happened if he hadn’t found Adora when he came looking for the portal. Would she have been taken to an orphanage where there was no permanent caregiver and where she was just one of many orphaned children?<br/>
It reminded him too much of his time with Horde Prime and while it was acceptable with the clones - they were built for it after all - Adora deserved to be more. </p><p>In the Etherian Horde she was the apple of everyone’s eye and Hordak felt the way the soldiers looked at him with a new kind of respect that had nothing to do with fear. They would greet him with smiles and admiration of some kind. Adora had brought them all together and made them an odd kind of family.</p><p>Maybe the other orphans could use this kind of family.</p><p>That thought invaded his mind frequently after it had first appeared. There were so many orphans out there, according to the other soldiers, all individuals who needed a sense of belonging and perhaps even family. He could somewhat provide them with that.</p><p>He justified his next action as a rational military strategy: by adopting the orphaned children, he could shape them into the perfect soldiers with an unbreakable loyalty. It was a brilliant idea. And if anyone wondered if he had sentimental reasons as well, he would rebuff them. </p><p>Lord Hordak may have adopted three new orphans and made them a special plaque for their cribs with their new names which Scorpia helped to choose, but he was not sentimental.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Comments are highly appreciated. Thank you for reading!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Imp</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Hordak finds that parenting several children is harder than expected.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Hordak had known that having more kids around naturally would lead to more work. But he had expected that the work would diminish as the kids got older, walking and eating on their own. Then he could begin their proper training.</p><p>However, he had not anticipated that not all of them were as easy a child as Adora; like Kyle, a human clearly abandoned by his parents because of his weaknesses. He was a skinny, frail boy that Hordak shouldn’t have brought in; he would be a terrible warrior. Nonetheless, the boy had come with them as Hordak reasoned he might possess a good intellect. It was certainly not because Kyle reminded him of himself.</p><p>Kyle turned out to be a handful. He cried a lot and needed to be physically near Hordak at all times. Luckily, Adora had outgrown the harness he’d made for her when she’d started walking - and running! - so Kyle was strapped to his chest most of the day.</p><p>The other two, a cat and an alligator, learned to crawl on all fours almost instantly and would scurry back and forth between Hordak’s legs wherever he went. He’d been close to falling over several times and seriously considered a leash for each of them at times.</p><p>Nevertheless, it was the alligator, Rogelio, who made Kyle comfortable enough to leave the harness and join the somewhat more independent children. Soon, he learned to crawl like the others and later, Adora taught them all how to walk. Kyle wasn’t as fast as everyone else and would often stumble, but Hordak knew he had other qualities, despite his flaws. </p><p>As they grew bigger, they only appeared to demand more attention. He couldn’t debrief a single team of soldiers without having to turn around to watch one of the kids do something mediocre that they had done many times before. And yet, he found himself annoyingly proud at their smallest achievements when he shouldn’t have cared.</p><p>Discipline was another thing he had to instil in them constantly, especially the cat Scorpia had given the painstakingly obvious name of Catra. She defied him at every turn, but still seemed to need his approval more than any of the others. The only thing that had an effect on her was positive reinforcement, something Hordak hadn’t been familiar with before Bucky brought him a book about it. Whenever she did something good, he would praise her and shower her with attention. Never punishing her for doing bad things was the hardest trial he’d ever had to endure, but it proved to be effective. Soon, he used this method with all the children.</p><p>By the time the children were 4-5 years old, he’d come to admit that their presence in his life was a positive one. They gave him a purpose that was more immediate than hoping to be rescued by Prime some day and every time they called him Hordad, it created a warm sensation in his chest that felt very rewarding. In a few blasphemous moments, he even dared to think that he was as important to them as Prime was to the universe.  </p><p>The fear that he might succumb to the failures of his defective body before the children were old enough to care for themselves grew stronger every day. Naturally, he knew that he had excellent force captains that could take care of the little ones and teach them to become competent soldiers, but they only had one Hordad. They would probably be the only ones in all of existence to mourn the loss of him.</p><p>He could not fail them by letting his defect win. Therefore, he began to spend every evening, after the children had gone to sleep, researching everything he could about cloning. While he wasn’t a god like Prime who could create life from nothing, perhaps he could use what knowledge he had to clone himself a new body that would sustain him. </p><p>The result was disastrous. Each attempt at cloning produced an abomination. He could only count the world lucky that the creatures never lived long enough in their pods to gain conscience. </p><p>Then he made Clone 23, a mixture of his own genetic material with the DNA from batlike species in southern Etheria. Several of the soldiers had mentioned to the children that he possessed physical similarities to these bats, an idea which the children were quick to adopt and have fun with daily. It spurred nicknames like ‘batman’, ‘dadbat’ and ‘spacebat’ (the latter was due to his teachings about outer space where he’d traveled). </p><p>Despite these less than amusing nicknames - he much preferred Hordad - he found it very useful that this species shared traits with his own and he quickly acquired DNA from them by trading it for a basket of fruit. </p><p>The clone proved strong enough to live, but it was monstrous: a tiny, chubby creature with yellow eyes and no vocal cords. He wanted to put it out of its misery, an obvious flaw in existence, but it felt wrong to euthanize it. After all, Hordak himself was a flaw. This creature was sentient and reminded him of a child, much like those he’d brought into the Horde that proved to be useful as well as adorable.</p><p>In the end, he introduced the little thing to the others. The soldiers and force captains were obviously disgusted by the monster, but the children took to him immediately. He’d expected them to see him as a pet, but to his surprise Adora instantly proclaimed that this was her little brother and she looked so proud that he couldn’t bear to correct her. The hug he received for making the ‘little brother’ in his lab made it all worth it.</p><p>But now that this failed clone was seen as a brother and not a pet, he would have to have a name and a voice. The first proved easy enough: Scorpia, now at a frustrating age apparently called the 'teen age', commented that he was a ghastly little imp and the children decided it was his name. </p><p>The voice was more complicated. Hordak was not so proficient that he could give him vocal cords, nor did he excel in robotics beyond those for war. In the end he had to make due with a record unit inserted inside his throat which the clone could control on his own. </p><p>He would never have guessed that it would give the children the idea to invent a habit of repeating each others' sentences, much to the annoyance of whoever the victim was. </p><p>It was at this point he began to hide in his sanctum whenever possible.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Princess Prom</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>While Hordak had plenty to do with the children in the Fright Zone, he still had a war to be won. Somehow, it had become more important than ever to stop the injustice that allowed the kingdoms to treat human Etherians better and exclude those with less ‘cute’ appearances. It was what most of his soldiers fought for: the chance to be treated with respect like real people. His own goal to conquer the planet for Horde Prime faded into the back of his mind where it always lingered. </p><p>The younger recruits like Mantanna, Huntara and Octavia, along with a grumpy Cobalt, were tasked with training the orphans to be solid warriors. They were too young for the battlefield, but that simply gave him more time to train them to be the very best. Scorpia was required to train as well and worked as an assistant to the combat trainers. She was naturally strong, but very reluctant to harm others.</p><p>His own body wasn’t fit for physical activities anymore and he couldn’t even lift Kyle without feeling the strain later. During the sessions where the children trained, he spent his time in his sanctum where he worked on new armor that allowed him to keep up the facade as a powerful leader. The armor became more elaborate and he struggled to find innovative solutions to power it without the backlashes of painful electrict jolts when it overheated. These incidences were hard to disguise when he was with the kids who hung on him at any given opportunity.</p><p>While he didn’t admit it to himself, the truth was that he had put the portal project on standby, along with his cloning experiments. The latter because it had proven unreliable; a fair assessment, despite the ‘little brother’ he’d accidentally made for the kids.</p><p>The portal, however, was a more complicated matter. He wanted to believe that Prime would take in any creature who wanted to serve in His Light, but something inside him knew that Adora and the other orphans would be in danger if Prime found him. Hordak desperately wanted to return to his maker, but he also cared immensely about his children and couldn’t bear to see them be harmed.</p><p>He couldn’t dismiss the project entirely; after all, he did want to go back to Horde Prime. But for now he prioritized his role as a <strike>father</strike> leader and it demanded that he focused on proper armor to hide his defect.</p><p>The war was mostly at a standstill. The Horde would overtake one village while the princesses took back another, leaving them at the same place they were before. His strategy was to lure them out to directly fight with his troops - a fight he knew the Horde would win - but every time the princesses seemed to avoid them. They were clearly scared of going against him, rightfully so, but he still didn’t have enough forces to protect all their villages while conquering new ones. Luckily, it was usually easy to find recruits in the new villages because so many were tired of the monarchies on Etheria and their discrimination.</p><p>One day Scorpia approached him. She was clearly nervous, rubbing her large claws together which sometimes made an awful noise that made Hordak shudder. At 17 she was only a head shorter than him, but sadly didn’t have much confidence and it somehow made her seem smaller than she was, in spite of the womanly shapes her body had taken the last few years. “I’ve re-received something, Lo-lord Hordak,” he tried to ignore her obvious insecurity as she stuttered. “It’s an-an invitation… to the Prin-prin-princess Prom.”</p><p>Ah yes. Scorpia was a princess; naturally she would receive an invitation when the Kingdom of Snows hosted another one of their All Princess Ball. She had gotten an invitation when she was seven, but he had declined on her behalf. Her family had just been killed in battle with Bright Moon and she was too vulnerable.</p><p>She did have a right to go now and as a 17 year old who was stuck in a military facility, he understood that she wanted to meet other princesses her age. Still, he was extremely worried. The Scorpions had never been treated well by the ‘pure’ human princesses and he feared that Scorpia would experience the very discrimination that his army fought against.</p><p>“Scorpia, as a princess of the Scorpion Kingdom and the Black Garnet, it is your right to go,” he said to her in a calm - perhaps even nice - voice to make her relax. It almost worked. “I will warn you that your family was never treated well by the other monarchs and I fear the same will befall you, but the Horde and its resources are at your disposal.”</p><p>Hordak nearly felt warm in his chest at the way Scorpia’s eyes lit up. She bounced out of his throne room, giggling to Huntara who was apparently eavesdropping. Not that he minded.</p><p>The news that Scorpia was attending the Princess Prom traveled fast and to his annoyance, he was met with many, <em>many</em> questions from his children. Especially Adora kept pestering him about the point of the war if they could have peaceful meetings with the princesses. Was the war really necessary? Couldn’t diplomacy be an option to ensure peace? And why wasn’t she allowed to meet the princesses?</p><p>He answered the questions truthfully and outright, but none of his answers made the children stop challenging him with even dumber questions. The result of their frustrations was a riot of tiny 8 year olds who demanded that they had a prom of their own and with the help of Huntara and Octavia, they managed to decorate the throne room without his knowledge. They even persuaded the cook to add color to the ration bars to make it ‘glamorous’ - Kyle’s word for it.</p><p>Hordak snarled at their doings and hid away in his inner sanctum, the one place none of them dared to go. Prime would've punished the children severely, but Hordak's own defect appeared to make him weak. The truth was that he was proud of what they had pulled together in spite of their disobedience. They were innovating in a way he would never be and stood by their will. </p><p>Nevertheless, the children’s objections to the war and wish to host proms instantly died the moment Scorpia returned from the prom, too early. As he heard her ship dock, he went out to greet her and hear if she had made any friendships, something he’d learned was important for Etherians.</p><p>He was shocked to see a crying Scorpia emerge from the ship and he couldn’t stop her from hugging him painfully tight as she buried her face in the crook of his throat. The children came running, but stopped abruptly as they took in the scene. “What happened, Scorpia?” He demanded a little too aggressively, but he felt incredibly angry that this kind girl had been brought to tears.</p><p>“They--they were so so so mean!” she sobbed. Hordak’s chest felt constricted. He wanted to comfort her, but didn’t know how. Could he hug her as he did with the children when she was practically an adult? Thankfully, Huntara and Octavia came to his rescue, taking her away from him and into their embraces. He felt useless. </p><p>“What did they do?” Adora asked cautiously from the doorway, unsure if she was allowed to ask. But Scorpia was eager to talk. Perhaps she needed it, Hordak realized.</p><p>“They mocked me! An-and my family! They called me names behind my back and laughed at my claws!”</p><p>The children listened in horror, eyes wide. Hordak wondered if he should address them, assure them that no one would do anything like that to them, but his thoughts were interrupted by Catra yelling in rage: “Fight the princesses! Fight the princesses!”</p><p>The other kids followed, chanting along with Catra. Soon, Huntara and Octavia joined in. More soldiers appeared, disturbed by the noise, and soon the whole room was filled by outraged Horde soldiers and children who all were ready to fight for their cause.</p><p>They took five new villages around the Whispering Woods over the next week and recruited nearly 30 soldiers. The kingdoms couldn't keep their strategy of avoidance much longer. </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Salineas</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Octavia asked for a private meeting with him after she had led the kids’ training session. Usually, he would use a soldier as a babysitter for the kids during meetings they couldn't attend, but since the Horde had grown so significantly recently, there was rarely anyone to spare. He preferred to have an adult near them at all times, although they all claimed they were old enough to take care of themselves for a while. And he supposed that Adora at least was a very responsible 9 year old.</p><p>Right now outside the training gym Rogelio and Kyle were playing doctor while Adora and Catra playfully fought. They probably wouldn't get into much trouble for the short time he would be gone. "Adora," he said in a commanding tone, though he couldn't keep the affection out of his voice no matter how hard he tried, "I will be gone for half an hour at most. You're in charge. Do not let anyone interrupt me in the throne room under any circumstances." He had often had a crying Kyle bursting into the room and running up to him on the throne during an important briefing or Catra rubbing up against his leg in an attempt to get him to pet her with his sharp talons. It didn't work well for his image as a fearsome leader.</p><p>Adora saluted him with a big smile before Catra drop-kicked her from behind; he made a mental note to talk to her about dirty fighting and perhaps give her more responsibility in certain areas. The girl was smart but fragile inside, a feeling he knew all too well. But unlike him, she had so much potential which he wanted to nourish. He also suspected that Catra was becoming too dependent on Adora, a matter he made a mental note to sort out as well.</p><p>One of the things he liked about Octavia was her fairly forward attitude and as always, she went straight to the point as soon as he’d taken a seat. “Lord Hordak, I request a leave of absence for a fortnight as I have to go to Salineas where I was born.”</p><p>This request surprised him. Firstly, because no one had ever asked for a leave of absence from the Horde before; therefore, he’d never even considered it a possibility. Secondly, though he knew that she was from Salineas, nothing in Octavia’s behavior had ever suggested that she felt any attachment to the place.</p><p>Taking a leave of absence was not an option in the Imperial Horde, but Hordak knew that he was no Prime and his soldiers were people, not clones. They hadn’t been made to serve in the Horde; it had been their choice. He didn’t see how he could refuse her request, but he was wary. What if everyone else did the same? Her reason for the leave had to be valid.</p><p>“I see. This might be a possibility.” He studied her expression, something he was becoming skilled at after dealing with the children's feeble attempts to hide things from him, but she gave nothing away. “However, I need to know why.”</p><p>Octavia nodded as if she had anticipated this. “As my lord may remember, I joined the Horde under the Great Drought in Salineas when my family fled the kingdom and was offered asylum here.” Hordak did remember this. Allegedly, Princess Mishell had drained all water from specific villages in Salineas to drive away the unwanted, least humanoid citizens to impress a human she wished to marry. And it had worked.</p><p>The Horde had taken in nearly fifty families of various sea-like people and given them an oasis with a large lake to reside in. Back then, they’d required new recruits in return - a small price to pay for a safe haven to live in - and Octavia had been one of them.</p><p>“Rumor has it that there’s another drought in Salineas. I want to help those affected in any way I can.” Hordak was shocked to hear this. The queen had died in childbirth years ago and her power to control the water along with her. Unless… King Mircia had used his young daughter to do it.</p><p>The idea of using your child in such a way left a sour taste in Hordak’s mouth. Sure, he was training his children to be the best soldiers possible, but he had no intention of involving them in the war before they’d come of age.</p><p>“Force soldier Octavia, I admire your dedication to the citizens in your former kingdom. I still regret that we allowed the princess to force yours and other families from the kingdom during the last drought. It will not happen again.” She looked at him in surprise and perhaps a bit in admiration. He found he liked it more than having soldiers look at him in fear.</p><p>“We will attack Salineas as soon as possible. The areas affected by the drought will naturally be spared, but we will attempt to gain territory in these places, so we easily can provide the much needed water to them. I want you to assist me immediately in planning the attack strategy.”</p><p>“Yes, my lord!” Octavia said with fiery glee in her eyes. Clearly, his decision had been the right one.</p><p>The meeting stretched out much longer than he’d expected and it was already past the kids’ bedtime when he left the throne room. He was surprised to find that they were lying in their bunk beds when he came down to their quarters. The expression on Adora’s face of pride; she’d obviously taken her position as the one in charge very seriously.</p><p>He made sure to give her the praise she deserved before he gave each of them a goodnight hug. They had begun kissing his cheek when he hugged them and he couldn’t deny how much he liked it.</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>It had been years since he’d been in the field himself. He had the children to keep an eye on and frankly, he worried about his body’s ability to fight, even in the armor. But he made an exception with Salineas. Adora had proved that she could handle the other kids and if any issues should arise, she could go to Huntara or even Scorpia for assistance. She looked up to the two older females.</p><p>Hordak wanted his presence to lure out the king of Salineas in hope that he could confront the monarch with the crimes against his people. While the Horde's purpose was to gain territory, he couldn’t help but feel appalled by the king’s actions and he wanted to see the king’s expression when they attacked.</p><p>It shouldn’t have surprised him when the king didn’t show up. The man was clearly a coward. He sent a large army of dedicated soldiers which kept Horde soldiers from the castle, but their constant guard of the castle made it easy for the Horde to enter the surrounding towns.</p><p>Usually, the citizens they encountered would be resisting to a certain degree when the Horde seized control of their town, but the drought had pacified the population to a frightening degree; there was no resistance at all. According to the people in the town nearest the castle which was affected the most because of the princess’ proximity to them, the king demanded that they paid twice as much taxes than usual. No one could afford it and so he punished them.</p><p>Hordak dared not ask how many had perished since the drought started. He walked among his soldiers with Octavia, shocked by the utter devastation caused by the kingdom’s monarchy.</p><p>They had brought several tanks of water with them, but it was not near enough. The households could have water, but the earth was so dry that nothing could grow. There were not enough oases for all these people in the former Scorpion Kingdom. It was necessary for them to stay here, but that meant they needed to establish a permanent method for the transportation of water to ensure that they could grow crops and survive on their own.</p><p>He noticed a young girl with a small bowl crouching near one of the water tanks, trying to catch the drops leaking from the place the hose was connected. As he came nearer, he saw how cracked and pale her brown skin was and how she looked uncared for. She was close to Adora’s age, that much was clear, but she wasn’t healthy.</p><p>She didn’t flinch when she took notice of his presence behind her as his shadow fell upon her tiny frame. Keeping the bowl steady, she looked up at him, eyes cold and hard like steel, and waited as if he had accepted that he was going to hurt her.</p><p>“Young girl, if your household needs water, the soldiers will get to you soon enough. You don’t have to worry about wasting a few drops anymore.”</p><p>“I don’t have a house. My family’s dead.” She said without any emotional reaction. The hardness in her eyes reminded him of the way the Scorpion people looked when he’d first met them: the look of abandoned hope.</p><p>“I have a family. In the Fright Zone. Children your age.”</p><p>“Good for you.” A shrug and those words were all she responded with before turning her face back to the bowl with precious water.</p><p>“I want you to join us. There’s nothing for you here.” For the first time he saw a spark of life in her eyes as she turned towards him again. She obviously didn’t believe him, but hope was present. He handed her a flask of water and she dropped her bowl, quickly grabbing the flask and downing the whole thing.</p><p>Afterwards, she actually smiled at him. Her eyes were still like steel, but more lively than before. “I want to come with you!” She was determined now; it sounded like he wouldn’t even have a choice in letting her come now. It amused him.</p><p>“Do you have a name?” He extended a hand to her to help her up, desperately hoping that his children wouldn’t need to name this one. They had the worst names.</p><p>“Lonnie.” She replied as she fearlessly placed her tiny hand in his clawed paw.</p><p>“Lonnie,” he repeated and pulled her up. To his surprise she didn’t let go of his hand, but kept hold of it as though it was a lifeline. “Welcome to the Horde, Lonnie.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Enter Lonnie! A tough girl for a very good reason. She'll fit in well.</p><p>Next up: the Horde takes a valuable prisoner.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. The Prisoner</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Yes, I'm still working on this! It hasn't been forgotten! I hope you enjoy this chapter.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Hordak brought Lonnie back to the Fright Zone after the water supply was set up in Salineas while Octavia stayed behind to command the troops, help the people and act as Horde representee if King Mircia wished to mediate. Unsurprisingly, the king hadn’t yet addressed the drought nor the Horde taking his territory, but neither had the other kingdoms showed their support of his decisions or their disapproval of Hordak's actions. All in all it was a pretty good outcome. </p><p>On the way back to the Fright Zone, Hordak learned that Lonnie was a polite yet fierce young girl. She was well-mannered, a trait he valued greatly in his children, but she also spoke her mind without hesitation. He quickly became fond of her and saw a lot of potential in her.</p><p>The only issue was that Lonnie was a dominating personality, much like Catra. An alpha so to speak. Catra was already emotionally insecure and bringing another girl into the Horde might make it worse. However, if he played it right, he could possibly have Lonnie smoothly integrated into the group and steer Catra away from her nearly unhealthy attachment to Adora. It would be perfect. But then again, how often did things turn out as he wanted them to?</p><p>He knew something was amiss the moment he and Lonnie stepped off the skiff because Scorpia’s claws were grinding together so violently that they’d been able to hear it inside the vehicle. It was also quite suspicious how the kids had all gathered to welcome them, yet not one of them ran over to him for a hug.</p><p>“Hello, everybody. This is Lonnie. I’ve offered her a home here with us.” He gestured briefly to the girl next to him who suddenly looked very shy. “I know something has occurred that you’re nervous to tell me, but you are well aware that I don’t punish anyone for being honest with me. So tell me what has happened and where is Adora?”</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>Kyle had unsurprisingly cracked immediately and revealed everything to Hordak: it was a diplomatic crisis compared to what the Horde previously had dealt with. He’d told Scorpia to show Lonnie around while the the rest of the children were to stay in their quarters until the matter was handled, although the order had been ill-received by Catra who insisted they had done the right thing.</p><p>They had not. Apparently Huntara had been scouting the Whispering Woods surrounding the eastern side of the Fright Zone when she’d come upon a person from Bright Moon who was allegedly spying on them. She’d brought him to the Fright Zone where she’d placed him in one of the old, unutilized prison cells which hadn’t been used for a decade, and then left to go out to look for more spies. This was all very much against regulations and he would need to have a serious talk with Huntara in the near future. She was trying to show that she was ready to join them in battle, but this episode just proved to him that she was a very immature 22 year old.</p><p>However, the children had been impressed with her and eager to see her captive. Because Scorpia had been busy gossiping with a trainer, the children had snuck into the cell and ‘interrogated’ the prisoner. He had claimed to be King Micah of Bright Moon and had refused to surrender his kingdom (he wasn’t even the regent, but the kids didn’t understand this) to the Horde.</p><p>This wasn’t how to treat a prisoner and certainly not a king. Bright Moon was one of the strongest kingdoms on Etheria and the Horde had absolutely no chance to go against them after they’d sent most of their forces to Salineas. Hordak had seen the children play their ‘interrogation game’ before and he shuddered to think if they’d done any of those things to the king. Such disrespect would come at a price, even if he let King Micah leave.</p><p>Adora hadn’t been present at his arrival back because she was still with the king and he hurried down to the cell holdings to stop her from doing any more damage. And true enough, he found King Micah bound to a chair with a lamp pointed directly at his face and two stools placed in front of him for the ‘good Force Captain - bad Force Captain’ routine the kids played sometimes. It almost couldn't be any worse. </p><p>But Adora wasn’t sitting in any of these chairs. Instead she was sitting on the floor right in front of the prisoner, looking relaxed with a spark in her eye that he knew too well; she was learning something new and exciting. The king seemed calm as well. It almost seemed like they were having a genuinely pleasant conversation.</p><p>When the two heard Hordak near the cell - it was impossible for him to be stealthy in his bulky armor - King Micah’s eyes widened in shock. Hordak was used to this reaction; he was an alien overlord after all. But sweet Adora jumped up from the floor and ran out the open cell door to hug him. “I missed you, Hordad! I have so much to tell you!”</p><p>The anger and frustration he’d felt as he’d hurried down to the cells slowly ebbed away by her sincere joy to see him. “Adora-” he started speaking, but was interrupted immediately by the young girl who was too excited to remember her manners.</p><p>“Come say hi to King Micah! He’s from Bright Moon and is married to a literal angel and he has a child who’s called Glimmer and has magic. She’s 9 like me, dad! Can I play with her? Can I?” She was talking a mile a minute about things that didn’t involve the war, but were childish notions about playing with another kid. She didn’t quite comprehend what it meant to be on different sides in a war. Not yet. And he found that he didn’t really want to ruin her wonderful world.</p><p>“Adora, let me talk to the king alone for a moment. Meanwhile, there’s a new girl for you to play with. I found her in Salineas and she didn’t have any parents, so I invited her to live with us. I expect you to treat her well.”</p><p>Her eyes lit up as the stars she’d never seen. “I have another sister? Oh, you’re the best dad in the whole world!” She jumped up and wrapped her arms around his waist the best she could. He almost felt embarrassed about the display of affection in front of his enemy, but couldn’t resist hugging his little girl back. One day she would be the leader of the Fright Zone and the king might as well know her importance now.</p><p>Adora ran out of the dungeon the second she let go of him. He was certain that she would welcome Lonnie with open arms and make sure that she became a part of their little family. He watched her go before turning to the king who had been watching the scene with interest.</p><p>Hordak took one of the chairs in front of their prisoner and placed it further back to keep some distance between them before sitting down. “I’m Lord Hordak of the Fright Zone. Let me begin by apologizing for the way you’ve been treated. My troops at this base are currently sparse and a misunderstanding led to this mistreatment of your highness. I do hope the children weren’t too harsh. I’ll have you freed at once and I hope you will consider not retaliating against the Horde for this misstep.”</p><p>The king looked at him for a few moments with an unfathomable expression. Then he began to chuckle in the most heartwarming way Hordak had heard from another male. “Lord Hordak, it was the most enjoyable capture I could’ve imagined. Not the treatment from the female soldier of yours who caught me on my evening stroll - a walk which had been longer than expected due to the Whispering Woods. But your children were a delight as they ‘interrogated’ me. You don’t have to fear any sinister actions from my kingdom.”</p><p>Hordak looked at him in surprise. This king seemed to be very different from the king of Salineas. While he knew that no kingdom on Etheria approved of the Horde’s actions, he didn’t get the feeling that Micah was interested in taking down Hordak’s empire. As promised he rose from his seat and walked over to cut through the king’s bindings with his talons to free him before sitting down once more as a sign of peace.</p><p>“I know what the Horde is doing in Salineas and as part of the Alliance I cannot officially condone that you’ve taken territory that did not belong to you.” The king looked at him with sincerity. “But as a citizen of Etheria I want you to know that you acted morally. The king of Salineas has done the unthinkable: he has taken advantage of his daughter’s powers for his own gain. It is inexcusable.”</p><p>Hordak nodded, grateful for the king’s words. He understood that the kingdoms of Etheria as a principle were an allied force against the Horde, but he respected that the king’s personal opinion was decent.</p><p>“As your Adora mentioned, I too have a daughter.” King Micah said casually as he stretched his arms in different directions to bring some blood into them after having been sitting bound to that chair for many hours. “She doesn’t have a lot of friends. Her mother is somewhat overprotective of her.”</p><p>He paused, expecting Hordak to react. “I understand.” He replied, although he didn’t. Could one protect a child too much? Surely, that just meant teaching the child to defend itself?</p><p>“My Glimmer could use a strong but kind and clever friend like Adora. Would you be open to a temporary truce between our two nations and allow our daughters some hours to play together?”</p><p>The suggestion surprised Hordak. His enemy whose kingdom condemned all the Horde’s actions wanted to arrange a sort of meeting where their daughters could play together. He’d studied Etherian history when he’d accepted that he would live on this backwater planet for several years, but he had never come across a similar arrangement having been made before. Even between kingdoms, the royal children rarely socialized, except during the formal gatherings. </p><p>However, it would be beneficial to him. If Bright Moon offered a temporary truce and wished to make a connection to the Horde, no matter how small, it meant that they acknowledged the Fright Zone as a legitimate kingdom of Etheria. Furthermore, he wouldn’t mind having Adora experience more balanced friendships with other girls than the one she had with Catra. It would even make room for his wish to develop a friendship between Lonnie and Catra, an equal one.</p><p>It would be in his best interest to agree to King Micah’s proposal and so he did.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Next up: a playdate for Adora and Glimmer!</p><p>Thanks for reading and for your comments! They mean the world to me!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Playdate</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Hordak faces what every parent fears: a playdate</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>No, this will not be abandoned! I'm continuing to work on this between stories.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Hordak decided that Catra would fit well as Lonnie’s sparring partner during their training. Lonnie had strength in abundance, but lacked technique and finesse. Technique would come naturally as part of their daily sessions, but finesse was Catra’s strongest asset. It was also a good way to separate her from Adora and the unhealthy dependence they had on each other.</p><p>He took it upon himself to provide Catra with more stability through daily routines and he took an hour out of his schedule to spend time alone with her. She was a clever girl, but very insecure. It was something he could relate to and he wanted to improve her self-esteem. While he was nothing more than a clone of Lord Prime, she was someone. And he was certain she could be a great leader with the right support.</p><p>Lonnie and Catra were a great match. Catra kept Lonnie on her toes while Lonnie could withstand Catra’s hard attitude towards others. It was a relief to Hordak considering the new challenge they now had to face.</p><p>The playdate. </p><p>He and Adora were going to meet with King Micah, Queen Angella and the little Princess Glimmer in Thaymore, currently a neutral zone between their kingdoms. Since the royal couple and their daughter possessed magic, they only brought along one guard. Hordak did not have a significant other to bring with him and Adora, but he wanted to have the same number of people with them. Huntara had been acting up, clearly thinking she was too good for babysitting. He wanted to avoid more incidents while showing her that every assignment had value, so he brought her with them; hopefully, she would find it meaningful enough to stand as guard in the company of Etheria’s most powerful royalty. </p><p>Finally, he brought a reluctant Scorpia along with them. She was a princess and it was important to him that it was acknowledged by other royal leaders. Especially after the Princess Prom. He would make sure that the Brightmoon couple was nice to her and made her feel better about her status.</p><p>He didn’t have the faintest idea what a playdate would entail. Supposedly, according to the parents around his soldiers, the kids would play together while the parents talked in a casual manner. It wasn’t exactly something he was looking forward to.</p><p>Apparently, he wasn’t the only one who felt unhappy about the situation. As soon as Adora and Princess Glimmer had run off to play on the rural playground they’d agreed upon as a meeting place, Queen Angella - a tall and regal celestial being - pronounced her dissatisfaction with the whole situation.</p><p>“Lord Hordak, I am not here because I want to acknowledge the evil Horde as a legitimate kingdom of Etheria. You are but a scavenger who have preyed on the dying Scorpion kingdom. The reason I am here is entirely because my husband declared that he would take our Glimmer here on his own and I could not allow that.”</p><p>The husband in question put his arm around the much taller wife and smiled awkwardly. “I apologize, Lord Hordak, Queen Angella can be a-” She slapped his hand away, looking affronted.</p><p>“I’m a reasonable person, but we cannot abandon the Alliance to have coffee with the Horde!” She said to Micah. Hordak watched them nonplussed until he heard the Queen mention coffee. Was that something he should’ve brought? He knew many Etherians enjoyed this drink, but was it required to bring on playdates?</p><p>The royal couple kept arguing as Hordak called Huntara up to him and quietly asked her where they could get some of this coffee. “I can find a café in the nearby town. I already planned to do recon there in case Brightmoon has brought in more guards.” </p><p>Hordak sighed and turned around to face her completely. “Huntara, we have been through this. If you want to be taken seriously, you have to follow my orders, not what you find necessary. Do you understand?” She nodded with a small sneer that he chose to ignore. “Good. Then do a very small reconnaissance and bring us some coffee.”</p><p>When Hordak turned back, he discovered that Scorpia who’d been standing by his side had walked up to address the arguing couple. The Brightmoon guard had raised his weapon in response, but Scorpia didn’t seem to care; Hordak did though. He strode up to her to pull her back when he heard what she was saying. </p><p>“- took me in when my parents and grandparents died and gave me a home. As they had known he would. They approved of him and gave him the kingdom, knowing that he would return it to its former glory. He has done exactly that. He has helped the last of my people and continues to help every minority on Etheria who isn't accepted by the Alliance. Just last month he saved thousands of people affected by a drought caused by the king of Salineas while the rest of you sat on your asses! So don’t come-”</p><p>Hordak stepped in when Scorpia said ‘asses’. Her words were true and he was astonished by her praise, but it was best not to talk about royal’s backsides. He barely hesitated  as he rested his hand on her shoulder in an almost fatherly manner. “Thank you, Princess Scorpia, your support is very appreciated and... important to me.” He smiled down at her, noticing how tall she’d grown; the top of her head almost reached his face. She blushed a little, suddenly back to the shy girl he knew.</p><p>The Queen’s facial expression had changed from arrogant to surprised. King Micah grinned beside her. “Well, I suppose there is some truth to your words, Princess Scorpia and-”</p><p>“Mooooooom!” Glimmer came running from the playground towards them. Or rather stomping. “Mom, I wanna go home! Adora won’t play any of my games!” Adora came up to them and went over to hug Hordak’s leg, looking a little frustrated.</p><p>“I just didn’t want to play ‘the evil Horde soldier’. We help people! The Horde isn’t evil.” Although she was practically glued to Hordak’s thigh, she sounded proud and unwavering in her certainty.</p><p>“You are!” Glimmer pouted and turned to her parents with hands on her hips. It was very clear who of her parents she was most alike. “I don’t want to play with anyone but Bow from now on! He’s the only one who wants to play the same things as me.” Queen Angella looked exhausted while the King shook his head. </p><p>“It’s important to have other friends and learn how to interact with others who don't serve you.” King Micah’s voice was resolute, but it didn’t stop his daughter from storming off. Her mother joggled after her, but the little princess disappeared in a cloud of pink sparkles, only to emerge a few meters further away from her mother. The King turned to Hordak, Scorpia and Adora who looked bemused at the family. “I- eh apologize for my girls. They- Well, maybe we can try again another time?”</p><p>“I suppose.” Hordak replied, although he noticed Adora crossing her arms. While he didn’t want to deny the possibility, her opinion was the most important to him. After all she was the one who had to play with the other child. He could just pretend to drink coffee while listening to the other parents talk.</p><p>“Thank you. You have a lovely family.” King Micah smiled. “Princess Scorpia, it was a pleasure to meet you. Your parents would be proud to see what an intelligent, beautiful woman you’ve become” He bowed to them before turning to walk after his own family, the guard following without a second glance. </p><p>What a strange family. Hordak was suddenly more grateful than ever for what he had in his life. “Let’s find Huntara and see if she has found a café in town. Maybe they have cupcakes.” Both girls turned to him and showed their approval of his idea by squealing loudly and he found himself chuckling at their excitement. He took Adora’s hand in his and together they walked towards the town.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Sometimes found family is the best family!<br/>(and sorry to Glimmer fans, but I do believe she was a bratty child)</p><p>Next up: Hordak's technological expertise is questioned by the kids and they call for assistance. Can you guess who?</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
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